1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an artillery shell carrier. More particularly, the present invention relates to an artillery shell carrier which carries shells from a shell stacker to a shell loader.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mobile artillery units are essential in modern warfare. These units must be able to move quickly while being heavily loaded with shells and must be able to fire each shell within a small predetermined period of time. Furthermore, since the shells are explosive, safety precautions must be incorporated into the design of the mobile unit's shell stacker.
A shell firing unit of, for example, a self-propelled artillery unit or a tank, is functionally divided into three parts: a shell stacker, a shell carrier, and a shell loader. Once the shell stacker stacks a plurality of shells, the shell carrier carries the stacked shells from the stacker to the shell loader. The shell loader then loads the shells into a gun barrel.
In the prior art, the function of the shell carrier is performed manually by artillerymen. However, due to the shell's heavy weight (typically 40-50 kg), artillerymen can be easily fatigued by carrying the shells. An additional problem with the prior art is that the manual carrying of the shells limits the firing speed of the shell firing unit, thus limiting the ability to achieve a concentrated attack.